In modern aircraft it is common to install a plurality of different electrical cables and pipes for controlling and supplying various devices and consumers. Within the context of the present patent application the term “line” is to be interpreted in its widest possible definition so that it includes in particular electrical cables, fluid-conducting pipes and hoses, bunches of the aforesaid lines, as well as any other supply lines in an aircraft.
In order to route such lines in an orderly manner in an aircraft, normally attachment elements in the form of cable holders are used, by which attachment elements the lines are affixed, at certain distances from each other, to suitable attachment faces of the vehicle. In this arrangement the holders are adapted to specific connection conditions of the attachment faces. These attachment faces are, for example, transverse supports, frame elements, stringers, ribs, and any other construction components of an aircraft, which within the context of the present invention are collectively referred to as structural components.
However, since the various respective structural components differ greatly from each other, many different cable holders have to be kept at hand. The required number of different cable holders to be kept further increases in that, for lines of different diameters or thicknesses, differently sized cable holders have to be kept in stock in order to be able to reliably fix each line. Thus, known cable holders are, for example, simple cable grips (Kabelschellen) that are only suitable for accommodating lines of a certain diameter range, which is why a plurality of different cable grips have to be kept in stock.
Furthermore, these cable grips are associated with problems in that with their use, orderly line routing is not possible, or is possible only with inadequate results. Since, as a rule, known cable grips are made from aluminium, these known cable holders, in addition, are associated with undesirably heavy intrinsic weight. Since the attachment of lines frequently takes place on conductive structural elements, moreover, due to the known cable grips being made from metal, special insulation regulations have to be observed so that, frequently, a complex earth connection on the conductive structural components has to be provided, which in turn is associated, in an undesirable manner, with additional weight.
Finally, with these known cable grips it is not possible to lead bunches of lines leading upwards or downwards through structural components, such as for example transverse supports, so as to route these bunches of lines without collision over or under other structural components, as well as air conditioning pipes, water pipes and the like.